Rome, Italy
December 16, 2008

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FROM THE EDITOR
Condolences
All roads led to Brazil!
Preparatory Committee for the General Chapter
275th Anniversary celebrations
Commemorative book on Bernard Häring unveiled
Vietnam update
New Provincials attend workshop in Rome
Merry Christmas!

NEWS FROM THE PROVINCES: :
Brazil: The Province of Rio de Janeiro has a new library
Spain: Espino celebrates the Anniversary of their Youth Missions
USA: Provinces join together for diocesan-wide missions

ALPHONSIANUM:
Academic Year 2008-2009 underway

REPORTS FROM THE SECRETARIATS:
General Secretariat for Brothers greets us in a letter

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Province of Vienna announces Clementine Celebrations
C.Ss.R. meal prayers available on our website
Complete Bernard Häring bibliography available from Historical Institute

FEATURED MEDIA:
Australia and New Zealand have a new website
Father General celebrates C.Ss.R. 275th Anniversary at Aparecida, Brasil

TRANSITIONS
Professions, Ordinations, Anniversaries, Deaths

FROM THE EDITOR

From the Editor
Around the world in five minutes

First of all, we extend our deepest prayers and sympathy to General Consultor Ray Douziech (Edmonton-Toronto) whose father, Napoleon Douziech, passed away in mid-November. Father Ray was in Canada at the time for meetings and was able to be with his mother and family during this time of loss.

Please take a moment to read the Announcement section of this month’s edition for some important announcements of available resources and opportunities.

The beautiful people and country of Brazil seemed to be the center of the Redemptorist world during the month of November. Father General, all of the General Council and a couple of Curia Members were there for the General Visitations of the Brazilian Units and for various Secretariat and Committee meetings. The Secretariats for Evangelization and for Brothers held their meetings in Aparecida as did the Preparatory Committee for the General Chapter. The Brazilian confreres went out of their way to shower their guests with hospitality and graciousness.

Preparations for the XXIV General Chapter continue at a steady pace. The Chapter Preparatory Committee is busy with the writing of the Instrumentum Laboris and the many canonical, organizational and procedural matters that go into running a General Chapter. The Regional pre-chapter meetings will begin in Africa in January and continue on through the other regions until the last one in May, in North America. These Regional meetings will lead into the opening of the General Chapter on October 19, 2009 at the Salesianum in Rome. The Communications Office is preparing to video stream live some of the proceedings of the General Chapter to you. Presently we are building the web pages on our website that will keep you fully informed with daily written reports, photos and video features.

Everyone’s time in Brazil was capped off November 9th with a beautiful celebration of the Congregation’s 275th anniversary held at the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida. All the Brazilian provinces sent representatives to the Celebration, which was preceded by study days and presentations on Redemptorist life and ministry.  The 275th anniversary Mass, which was televised by TV Aparecida throughout the country

Father General spoke eloquently (in Portuguese) on the significance of our anniversary. In summary he said: “The special gift of Redemptorists is our total dedication to ensure that the abundant life that flows from the Church will be carried to the margins of society and the frontiers of culture. In carrying out our mission, we do not pretend to work alone; instead, we gladly contribute our gift to the diversity of charisms that God has given to the Church. Redemptorists accept that the Church expects us, as consecrated men, to be experts of communion and we recognize that without communion, there is no discipleship. As Redemptorists celebrate the milestone of 275 years, we thank God for all our brothers and sisters, the disciples of Jesus Christ, with whom we are grateful to work to build "God's house", a "dwelling place for God in the Spirit" (Ef. 2, 22).”

---

On the other side of the world, a Brazilian from São Paulo, outgoing Casa Sant’Alfonso Rector, Darci Nicioli, added to the General House’s 275th anniversary celebration by unveiling the Galleria di Generali – restored portraits of all our Superior Generals now on public display in the 2nd floor corridor of the Alphonsian Academy wing. Previously, they had been hanging in a nearby, locked rare book room. Wine and cheese were served as the confreres were able to view the portraits. Father Giuseppe Orlandi, our in-house historian, gave an insightful presentation on their significance. In a future issue of SCALA, we’ll give you his insight into one of the paintings. Thank you to Father Darci for his generous and effervescent service to the General House. We welcome our new Rector, Father Luciano Panella from the Province of Naples.

November 20th, the Alphonsian Academy sponsored a study day in the Academy’s Aula Magna in honor of the 10th anniversary of Bernard Häring’s death. The theme of the day was “The Word of God and Morality.”  Unveiled at this event was a commemorative, honorific biography of Father Häring edited by Father Martin McKeever, President of the Academy. The work is entitled: Father Bernard Häring: A Happy Redemptorist. Copies of the book are available on a limited basis in Italian, Spanish and English from the Academy for €20.00 plus shipping and handling.

At the conclusion of November the General House was blessed with the presence of over two dozen new provincials who attended the two, 10-day orientation sessions conducted for them by members of the General Council and Curia. The first session was conducted in Spanish and a second session was held in English. A couple of participants were prevented from coming or inconvenienced by events at the Bangkok airports.

The most recent news from Vietnam concerning the land dispute between Redemptorists and the government as we go into production is that the government is still harassing our confreres and laity. A confrere who works at the Thai Ha parish tells us: “Hanoi’s Dong Da District Court informed us that eight Catholics will go on trial December 5 at the headquarters of the People's Committee of O Cho Dua ward, one kilometer away from our church.” The Thai Ha parish is where hundreds of Catholics occupied a plot of Church land on August 15th, land that had been confiscated by the government near the parish church. The people put crosses and Marian statues at the plot in protest. The district court issued its summons November 21 to four men and four women, who range in age from 21 to 63.

A big thank you to Father Félix Catalá of the Center for Redemptorist Spirituality for his columns on Religious Life for SCALA, which have concluded with the end of the special year dedicated to Apostolic Life.

It was a busy month! We are just as certain that now is a busy time for all Redemptorists in the field of pastoral activity preparing your people for the coming of the Redeemer. These are challenging times. May you be strengthened by prayer and the importance of your pastoral service to the people of God this Christmas, as you bring to them the promise of our Lord’s coming…

Grace and Redemption for All!
Gary Ziuraitis, C.Ss.R.

Index

NEWS FROM THE PROVINCES:

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Inauguration of a new Redemptorist Library
José Vidigal, C.Ss.R.

A new Redemptorist library building was dedicated in the Province of Rio de Janeiro on November 13th and 14th. The building, four stories high and covering some 950 square meters, now houses the “Padre James Snoek Redemptorist Library.” The edifice is equipped with an elevator, an access ramp for handicapped persons, a climate control room for rare books, an informational library, a special room that is equipped with motors and machinery which provide a pollution-free ambience for preserving the books, as well as sufficient illumination for the visitors who are looking for a proper place to read and/or study.

On November 13, there was a photographic display set up in the library to show the history and the development of the Redemptorist Library.

In a special session for the press, many professional communicators were able to examine the new structure, take some time to photograph it, have time to examine its new and modern equipment and interview library representatives. That evening there was a round-table discussion on the importance of books, under the title “The Library as the Path to Wisdom.” This discussion was open to the public and served to bring together the Provincial Superior of Rio, Pe. Vicente de Paula Ferreira, Eduardo Gross, the coordinator of the course on the Sciences of Religion held at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, and the former Provincial Superior of Rio, Pe. Dalton Barros de Almeida. As Pe Vicente said: “The library brings together a rich cultural patrimony which was inherited many years ago by the Redemptorists. Today it is a great grace to be able to count on the presence of such a fine resource and to know that it is also available to the people of Juiz de Fora and its environs. This is part of our Christian evangelization.” There were other speeches offered by invited guests. During an intermission a musical group, The Trio of Pro-Music Chords, entertained the crowd.

Pe. Dalton pointed out the great love our Founder had for books. St. Alphonsus, he said, besides being himself a great writer, ordered his missionaries to “live their lives among books. The Redemptorist,” he said, “does not study for his own benefit, he studies in order to dedicate himself to others.” On November 14, a Mass of thanksgiving was celebrated which brought together Redemptorists with some 20 laborers who had worked on the construction of the building, along with seminarians and parishioners who came to congratulate the Redemptorists for one more significant accomplishment. Finally, Pe. Jaime Snoek, C.SS.R., for whom the library is named, blessed the new building and all its installations. The Redemptorist Library has been growing since its early beginnings in 1946, when the studentate for the Rio province was inaugurated in Floresta. Even in its earliest years, the Library counted many diverse and rare books, some dating to the 16th century, along with some precious collections such as the Greek and Latin Patrology books by J.P. Migne.

These books came from Holland, our mother-province. The library remained in the Studentate and was used only by Redemptorist priests and students until the end of 1970 when the philosophy and theology courses were transferred to the Federal University in Juiz de Fora. At that time, Father Snoek who was a professor at the Studentate and a moral theologian of national fame, used his influence to have the library transferred to an area closer to the center of the city of Juiz de Fora where it became open to the public. This happened in 1980, at which time the library was moved to a residence near our house in Gloria (the first Redemptorist house in Brazil), where it became a gathering place for fishermen, students, professors, first-graders, collegians, and many Redemptorist professors, students, and religious brothers. Today the library contains some 60,000 volumes, among them books and magazines in the area of theology, history, philosophy, psychology, thus being one of the largest of the area. At the entrance of the library there is a plaque which has a clock with a saying written in Latin; it was made by Brother Braz Delfino Vieira, C.Ss.R, of the Rio Province. It reads:

Index

The Youth Mission of El Espino
A quarter of a century in the service of Youth
Laureano Del Otero, C.Ss.R.

Since 1983 more than 7.500 young people have participated in the El Espino Youth Mission. The Redemptorist Youth and Vocation Ministry (RYVM) of the Province of Madrid convoked young people from all over Spain and other places to experience an encounter with the Gospel during the third week of July that coincided with the feast of the Most Holy Redeemer. This extraordinary meeting was based on the theme Young people evangelized by young people. This is the objective of RYVM: that each young person should be a missionary and feel the need to collaborate in the extension of the Kingdom of God according to one’s gifts, qualities and ability.   Few pastoral experiences with young people have lasted as long as this one. For this reason last summer we organized a special mission for all the young people who had taken part in El Espino during the 25 years of its history.

This celebration of the XXV anniversary became the focal point of reference for the Provincial RYVM during its pastoral course. For greater publicity a special web site was opened called www.espino25.es which gave a history of each youth mission, news, testimonies of young people, photos, competitions, meetings etc. A CD was also produced with 12 hymns composed by young people and Redemptorists who had passed through El Espino and were connected with RYVM. The proceeds of this CD were to be given to a youth development project called ‘Association for Solidarity’. Young people and Redemptorists produced the web page as well as the CD free of charge. Both efforts exemplify creativity and service to the Gospel.
 
The Youth Mission took place July 20- 27. For the first four days it followed its normal dynamic with young people taking part for the first time. They came from all the Spanish communities and Fr. Pacheco and a young person came from Portugal together with Fr. Michael Cusack from Ireland. The coordinating team of the Mission included Redemptorists, a Redemptoristine and an Oblate of the Most Holy Redeemer. Towards the end of the week all were joined by young adults and their families. This tripled the number of people and this old monastery of El Espino, in the north of Spain had a completely new experience with many children everywhere.

Index

USA
North American Provinces Join Together for Parish Missions
Richard Mevissen, C.Ss.R & Kristine Stremel of DenverLink; Marion Lunt of Baltimore; & Staten Island Advance contributed to this article.

“We are Redemptorists first and members of a province second!” proclaimed Father General, Joseph W. Tobin, calling for collaborative efforts in preaching the Gospel throughout the world. And the North American provinces responded: planning for collaborative missions began more than two years ago.

Collaborative efforts kicked off with the historic New Ulm (Minnesota) Mission, the very first diocesan-wide Mission. The “Open Your Heart to Jesus” Mission brought more than 25 confreres - from the Denver Province, the Baltimore Province and the Edmonton-Toronto Province - to rural Minnesota to preach in English and Spanish at 36 different parishes from March 1 to April 17.

The most recent collaborative missioin, “Living Plentiful Redemption,” was a well publicized effort covering the entire borough of Staten Island, New York. Approximately 3,000 “Meet me at the Mission” signs were posted on neighborhood lawns, invitations from “The Catholic Parishes of Staten Island” were published in the local Staten Island Advance daily newspaper, and Fr. John Murray, C.Ss.R. of the Baltimore Province even created a website.

Fr. Murray led the group of 36 Redemptorists from the Baltimore Province, the Vice-Province of Richmond, the Denver Province, the Edmonton-Toronto Province and the Province of Warsaw in preaching at 25 different parishes in English, Spanish and Polish November 2-6."The fact that it was an Island-wide mission is very inspiring," said Monsignor James Dorney, co-vicar for Island Roman Catholics and pastor of the borough's mother church, St. Peter's in New Brighton. "There are so many alienated people, people who are not practicing their faith as they should be. This is an open invitation to them." Marion Lunt, director of communications for the Redemptorists' Baltimore Province, said the order has done area missions before, with much success. "It's not just one parish but a diocese, or a part of a diocese," she said. "There's so much power in that number of people praying." According to Fr. Dick Mevissen, Provincial Vicar of the Denver Province, the new emphasis on collaborative Mission preaching is breathing new life into the Denver Province. “We are evangelizing whole areas, just like St. Alphonsus and his companions originally did. It’s a very exciting time, and I believe the trend of the future,” he said.

Immediately afterward, the Redemptorists left for the Diocese of Portland, where a Mission for the entire state of Maine began November 8.

Index

ALPHONSIANUM:

Rome, Italy The Alphonsian Academy On Friday, October 10, 2008 the Alphonsianum opened the academic year with a Mass of the Holy Spirit in Sant’Alfonso church. The main celebrant was the Moderator General of the Academy, Father Joseph W. Tobin, Superior General. The Eucharist was attended by faculty, students and friends of the Academy. After the liturgy, Father Martin McKeever, President of the Academy, inaugurated the academic year with his 2007-2008 academic year report in the Aula Magna. Then Professor Giuseppe Quaranta of the Triveneto Faculty of Theology at Padua, Italy, delivered the inaugural lecture entitled: Creation blessed and redeemed. Theology and ethics of creation in Bernhard Häring and contemporary theological reflection. A fuller report on the status and statistics of the Academy by Father McKeever is below.

Rome, Italy
The Alphonsian Academy
Martin McKeever, C.Ss.R., President

The mission of the Alphonsian Academy in promoting the study of moral and pastoral theology within and beyond the Congregation. Since 1949 the Academy has been able to accomplish this mission thanks to the generosity of many Provinces and many individual confreres.

In a brief report such as this, it will clearly not be possible to give an account of the complex range of Academy life that takes place. A certain amount of background information is available on line at www.alfonsiana.edu. All that will be attempted here is a presentation of some essential matters of information concerning the Academy.

1. The students: statistics for the last 6 years

Status of students

* men and women

Continent of origin

Redemptorist students

2. The Staff
In the period 2003 to 2008, the situation has been as follows:

3. The program
The program of studies at the Academy is divided into two levels: the license and the doctorate.

The license program normally takes two years and involves one course in methodology, two courses in Sacred Scripture, two courses in patristics/history, four courses in systematic moral theology, two courses in anthropology, and eight elective courses. The student is also required to do three seminars, two discussions on a moral theme, and a written thesis.

The doctoral program can be completed in two years but often takes longer, especially if students have other responsibilities. The doctoral program involves the production of a written dissertation, which is publicly defended.

The students

The most important single fact about the Alphonsian Academy is that in each of the last six years, fifty to sixty new students have found their way to us to specialize in moral theology. There is good reason to hope that this will continue to be the case. The fact that this happens is to be attributed to the good name the Academy has built up over decades, especially through the recommendations of former students.

Of particular importance is the number of Redemptorists studying in the Academy. It is encouraging that this number is more or less stable despite the major difficulties in vocations experienced in many countries. It cannot be too strongly stated, however, that the future of the Academy depends on the recruitment of future Redemptorist professors, most of all from among our student alumni.

The staff
This brings us to the crucial question of the changing situation of the staff. Over the next six years or so, the majority of the ordinary professors will complete their service at the Academy. Many of the Provinces that generously provided these confreres in the past (mainly in Europe, North America, and Australia) will not be in a position to provide professors in the future. The obvious consequence is that if we are to find future Redemptorist professors for the Academy, we will have to find them elsewhere. It is encouraging that in the last six years several confreres from other areas of the world have joined the staff or are in the process of doing so. The most pressing need is for new, full-time professors from Latin America to help deal with the steadily increasing number of students from this continent.

The collaboration of non-Redemptorist professors has been and will remain an important aspect of staffing. Efforts are currently under way to integrate these professors better into the program. A steady increase in the proportion of “external” professors clearly has financial implications.

The program
At the present time a complex operation is under way with a view to having the academic qualifications of Pontifical Universities acknowledged throughout Europe (the “Process of Bologna”). One important development over the last sexennium has been the introduction of three forms of specialization within the program (fundamental, bioethical, and social). This means that, when circumstances permit, students can shape their studies in a manner appropriate to their future ministry.

At the time of writing, I am just beginning my second year as President. I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised and greatly encouraged by many postive aspects of the Alphonsian Academy. I am quite convinced that if the confreres throughout the world were fully aware of what goes on here they would be even more supportive of this mission of our Congregation, so close to the heart of Saint Alphonsus.

Index

REPORTS FROM THE SECRETARIATS:

Aparecida, Brazil
General Secretariat for Redemptorist Brothers, November 14, 2008
Bro. Jeffrey Rolle, C.Ss.R (President of the Secretariat); Bro. Michael Duxbury, C.Ss.R; Bro. João Batista de Viveiros, C.Ss.R; Bro. Joel de Guzman, C.Ss.R; Bro. Benjamin Posvo, C.Ss.R; Rev. Samuel Torres, C.Ss.R; y Rev. Enrique López, C.Ss.R (General Consultor).

Dear Confreres, brothers in the Lord:

Warm greetings from Aparecida. The General Secretariat for Brothers met at “Santo Afonso” Seminary in Aparecida, São Paulo, Brazil, from November 12 to 15, 2008. We felt that we were at the feet of the Virgen Mother of Aparecida in this Shrine, which is under the pastoral care of the Redemptorists. This was the final meeting of the sexennium. We had the opportunity to celebrate, with other Redemptorist from Brazil, the 276th anniversary of the congregation and the closing of the “year dedicated to an intense reflection on the apostolic life of the Redemptorists”. It was a wonderful experience of brotherhood, sharing and renewal of our religious commitment.

On the morning of November 12, the members of the Secretariat met fraternally with the Brazilian Brothers. This meeting was held in the town of Potim, near Aparecida, at “São Geraldo” Seminary for the formation of Brothers in the province of São Paulo. It was an enriching moment of sharing personal experiences, pastoral ministry, spiritual aspirations and motivations. We saw the enthusiasm of our Brazilian Brothers, the dedication and the strong sense of communion among the confreres of the different Units of this “land of the Holy Cross”. We are very happy with the wide apostolic visibility of so many Brothers who contribute in an extraordinary way to the mission of the congregation in Brazil. Many of the concerns and challenges that the Brazilian Brothers have to face are also shared by the General Secretariat and other Brothers in the world. On November 13, also at “São Geraldo” Seminary, we had the great joy of meeting the 13 Brother candidates. We celebrated the Eucharist and enjoyed a moment of fraternal socializing with them. We were very impressed by the enthusiasm, spontaneity, creativity and the dreams of these young students who are preparing themselves to become Redemptorist Brothers. There is a good number of Brother candidates. This is a sign of great vitality of the Province and it filled us with a sense of hope. We felt spiritually renewed by this experience.

During the meeting of the Secretariat we celebrated these signs of hope, analyzed the Regional reports, discussed our report to the next General Chapter, and shared the positive experiences, the achievements, the difficulties and challenges that we encountered during the sexennium. We also offered suggestions for the work of the Secretariat in the next sexennium. Now we wish to share with you some of those experiences and ideas.

Signs of hope

Our experience as members of the Secretariat was very positive, but it was not easy. We were greatly impressed by the religious commitment, the fidelity and love for the congregation shown by so many Brothers whom we had the opportunity to meet during this sexennium. The enthusiasm and the spiritual disposition of these Brothers are a great source of inspiration for all of us.

We want to say to the members of the next General Chapter that, even though we are experiencing a drop in the number of Brothers, we do see a new spirit both among the Brothers and the congregation as a whole. There is a renewed vision, a new recognition and appreciation for the life, the spirit of sacrifice, the dedication, the fraternal humility, the faithful perseverance of the elderly Brothers, as well as the missionary enthusiasm of the younger Brothers. In the last few years, and as a result of the work done in previous years, we have seen an increase in the appreciation of the value of the vocation of the Redemptorist Brother.

The celebration of the “year of Saint Gerard” (October 2004-2005) and the “year of the apostolic life of the Redemptorists” (November 2007-2008) provided a great opportunity for reflection and appreciation of the Brother’s vocation. There were many Brothers gatherings, meetings and opportunities to share personal experiences. There were many Retreats and Congresses in the (vice)provinces and Regions. The figure of Saint Gerard and the other Redemptorist Brothers were specially highlighted. There was an opportunity for a better knowledge of the life and works of the early Redemptorist Brothers. With all this, there was a renewal of the understanding of the vocational identity and the mission of the Brothers in the congregation and the Church.

The meetings between Brothers and students facilitated and favoured dialogue and sharing of personal and pastoral experiences. We are absolutely convinced that the Brothers must meet frequently for this kind of sharing.

There was very good integration among the members of the General Secretariat for Brothers and those of the Regional Secretariats.

We thank the General Government for the constant support. They welcomed all our suggestions and proposals. We also thank the very positive collaboration and contribution of the Redemptorist Spirituality Center and the other General Secretariats.

The dissemination of the life experiences of many Brothers, as examples of dedication and service to the congregation, helped promote a better understanding of the Brothers’ vocation and their contribution to the mission of the congregation.

Challenges and Difficulties

The work of motivating and encouraging the Brothers during the sexennium was not easy. There was good animation through the work of the regional Secretariats, but the fact is that none of the Brothers was left free for this task. Within that context, we did what we could and we believe that we are on right track.

Vocational promotion for Brothers has become better, but it continues to be a great challenge. We are not receiving as many Brother candidates as we hoped. We encourage everyone to commit themselves more to the work of vocation promotion.

We must also say that the programs of formation for Brothers are now much better. However, we found that there is still the need to intensify and clarify the programs of formation, especially for the Brothers in temporary vows. We favour that, as much as possible, the Units in the congregation prepare a special formation program for Brothers. We suggest that the Units with few Brothers collaborate with each other and start a formation program together, or at least send their candidates to those Units who already have a special formation program for Brothers. We also consider extremely important that the Brothers in final vows have the opportunity of specialized studies in different areas. Thus, they will be able to contribute even more to the mission of the congregation.

The Regional Secretariats for Southern Europe and Africa, each for many diverse reasons, had many difficulties in organizing Brothers gatherings at the Regional level. We must also say that there were some financial difficulties for the organization of Brothers gatherings in certain Regions.

We continue to hear complaints and comments regarding prejudices against Brothers, that we consider part of the past. In some Units Brothers do not feel supported by their confreres and/or their superiors. Some, perhaps because they are elderly or infirm, feel disheartened and discouraged. We are quite concerned with the fact that some confreres openly affirm that the vocation of the Redemptorist Brother is in a process of extinction and have lost hope. We note that some clericalist attitudes still persist among several confreres, who do not seem to understand the meaning of our religious and missionary life.

The greatest challenge we face is the progressive decline in the number of Brothers. There are many Brothers who are advanced in age. We are also concerned about the lack of perseverance of a good number of young Brothers and by the fact that so few candidates are entering the congregation to become Brothers. We recommend that the next General Secretariat study this situation with great care, offer some recommendations and propose possible lines of action to respond to this situation.

We are concerned that the process of restructuring in the congregation, with all its consequences, is not being assimilated and taken seriously by many confreres in the local communities. At times one has the impression that restructuring affects only a few and does not really touch all the confreres in the congregation. We heartily recommend a new reading of Communicanda # 1 of this sexennium.

Towards the future We believe that it is necessary to establish an Executive Secretary in Rome in order to accompany the Brothers more closely and work together with the General Secretariat and the Regional Secretariats for Brothers. This would also allow constant dialogue between the Brothers and the General Government. It would be very good if, as much as possible, at least one Brother participates as a member in other General Secretariats. We recommend at least one annual meeting of Brothers in all Units of the congregation and that, every two or three years, there be a meeting at the Regional level. We also suggest that Brothers who belong to Units with few Brothers should be allowed to participate in meetings organized by other Units.

Conclusion

We thank all the members of the General Secretariat and the members of the Regional Secretariats for their work in accompanying the Brothers. We thank the support of the General Government. We thank all the Brothers who participated with interest and enthusiasm in so many meetings and contributed with their presence and reflection to the renewal of the vocational identity of the Redemptorist Brother.

We remind everyone that in 2009 the congregation is celebrating 100 years of the canonization of Saint Clement Hofbauer, great missionary and the “apostle of Viena”, as well as 200 years of the birth of Blessed Peter Donders, a missionary to the most abandoned lepers in Surinam. May the missionary spirit of these confreres be a source of inspiration to all of us.

Finally, in the spirit of Saint Alphonsus, Saint Gerard and the other Redemptorist saints, we encourage all the confreres to live with great fidelity the joy of our religious and missionary vocation in the Church and the world. We encourage everyone to seriously “give their lives for plentiful redemption” and to enter the process of restructuring which requires personal conversion and a new mentality. May Mary the Virgin Mother of Aparecida bless and protect us with her intercession.

Your brothers in the Most Holy Redeemer.

Index

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Vienna Austria Invitation to take part in the International St. Clement Hofbauer Pilgrimage 2009 Fr. Lorenz Voith, C.Ss.R. Provincial Superior of the Province of Vienna

The “Year of St. Paul” is currently being celebrated all over the Catholic world. The Church commemorates the great Apostle to the Nations, numbered among the greatest missionaries and proclaimers of the Good News that Jesus Christ brought to the world.

In 2009, we Redemptorist Missionaries also focus our anniversary celebrations on a great personality of our Congregation: St. Clement Mary Hofbauer. He too was a great proclaimer of and witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, another apostle Paul, I am inclined to say. He loved passionately both God and the good and saving news of Jesus. He also loved people, regardless of nationality, language, age or education, whether married or unmarried. His work laid the foundation for the world-wide expansion of our Institute.

On May 20th, 1909, Clement Mary Hofbauer was canonized in Rome by Pope Pius X.
We intend to celebrate the centenary of this event in a special way. The centenary celebrations will focus on an “International Pilgrimage” and on meetings in Vienna (Austria), Tasovice (Czech Republic) and Cracow (Poland)

From May 19-23, 2009.
On behalf of the provinces involved, I invite everyone to this pilgrimage!

We are happy that our Superior General and other representatives of the general government have already promised their participation.

Please make your definitive registration by the end of January, 2009, preferably as a group or as a province. After registration you will be sent further information and a centennial publication (in several languages).

This International Pilgrimage is meant not only to draw our attention to the past but also to the 21st century and its great challenges.

Fraternally,
Fr. Lorenz Voith, C.Ss.R. on behalf of the Provinces of Vienna, Munich, Prague, Bratislava, Warsaw, and their Provincial Superiors.

Programme
International Pilgrimage – Festival Week in Vienna – Taswitz – Krakow

18th May: Arrival in Vienna
Evening: Solemn Mass; followed by Theatrical Performance: “Life of St. Clement”
(Monastery Vienna-Hernals)
19th May: On the footsteps of St. Clement in Vienna (short visits)
6.30 p.m.: International Solemn Mass in the Marian Parish with Fr. General (requested) (Monastery Vienna-Hernals); followed by: Gaudeamus, meeting each other.
20th May: 10.00 a.m.: Festival Academy
4.00 p.m.: Official Celebration of the Centenary of the Canonization of St. Clement Maria Hofbauer (procession from the “Platz am Hof” to Maria am Gestade)
Eucharistic Celebration with the Bishop Stephan Turnovszky, Vienna).
Music: “Krönungsmesse” by W. A. Mozart.
Final Reception in Vienna (dinner)
21st May: Journey to Taswitz (Czech Republic)
10.30 a.m.: Solemn Mass with the local church of Brno now in the Province of Prague
Lunch
Journey continues to Krakow:
Hotel and Dinner
22nd May: Morning: Sight-seeing in Krakow (free)
Afternoon:
Concert with instruments and music pieces from the time of St. Clement in
St. Benno (Warsaw); Holy Eucharist;
Final Reception: Gaudeamus, …
23rd May: Official closing of the International Pilgrimage

Costs:
18th to 23rd May 2009:
Vienna and Krakow
Overnight stay in hotel with breakfast, dinner,
Sight-seeing,
Organization fees in Vienna and Krakow
€ 290.-- per person

Supplementary cost for single room: € 60.--

The costs do not include:
1. Lunch in Vienna and Cracow (there are special offers)
2. Costs for travelling (bus) via Taswitz to Cracow

The costs get reduced when participated less days.

Registration till 31st January 2009:

secretariat@cssr.at
Provinzialat der Redemptoristen
Salvatorgasse 12, 1010 Wien, Österreich
FAX: +43-1-533 95 94-18

Table Prayers for Redemptorists

We would like to remind you that the digital versions of “Table Prayers for Redemptorists” are available on our website at:
http://www.cssr.com/english/whoarewe/DocsAndComms/2008-MealPrayersCSsR-EN.shtml
The German language version was recently added on the German language site. Some of our communities are already using these prayers - meal blessings linked to our Constitutions and Statutes. Many confreres find them very useful. Please contact the Secretary General (seg.gen@cssr.com or Serafino Fiore (sfiore@cssr.com) of your evaluation of the prayers. If desired and necessary, we will print copies in different languages, hopefully at low cost, if the demand is sufficient.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Bernhard Häring’s (1912-1998) death, a comprehensive bibliography of his works has been compiled and made available in "Spicilegium Historicum C.Ss.R.", a. 56, 2008, fasc. 2.

If someone would like a copy of this bibliography, you may request one from Father Adam Owczarski, director of the Historical Institute, Rome.
aowczarski@tiscali.it
storia.gen@cssr.com

Index

FEATURED MEDIA

The Redemptorists of Australia and New Zealand have a new website (in English) they would like you to come visit! http://www.cssr.org.au/

WWW.CSSR.TV : Father General was the principal celebrant in Aparecida, Brazil for its 275th Anniversary celebration of the birth of the Congregation. Video courtesy of TV Aparecida (in Portuguese).

Index

TRANSITIONS

Recent noteworthy events in the Redemptorist Family. For a complete record of Transitions visit the Officialia site

First Profession of Temporary Vows:
Gustavo Javier Servián Villagra, Vice Province of Asunción, March 29, 2008
Michael McCloskey, Province of Dublin, August 30, 2008
Jaime del Pilar Álvarez Molina, Province of Madrid, October 11, 2008
Joseph Kinkela Mpanzu, Vice Province of Matadi, September 8, 2008
Moïse Ngoto Nshere Bore, Vice Province of Matadi, September 8, 2008

Profession of Perpetual Vows:
Dominic John O´Toole, Province of London, September 28, 2007
David Bayo, Province of Indonesia, August 15, 2008
Robertus Melkior Bayo, Province of Indonesia, August 15, 2008
Efrem Bolly, Province of Indonesia, August 15, 2008
Vensensius Nani Bili, Province of Indonesia, August 15, 2008
Robert Harold Lindsey, Province of Denver, September 20, 2008
Thomas T. Pham, Province of Denver, September 20, 2008

Ordination to the Priesthood:
Volodymyr Kozak, Province of Lviv, October 19, 2008
Vitalij Nazar, Province of Lviv, October 19, 2008
Volodymyr Sabat, Province of Lviv, October 19, 2008
Elias Hlomai Gweme, Region of Zimbabwe, October 25, 2008
Ronaldo Sabino de Pádua, Province of São Paulo, October 25, 2008-12-01

70th Jubilee of Profession:
Gerardus Rottink, Province of St. Clement/Region of Netherlands, December 23, 2008

60th Jubilee of Profession:
Angel Irigoyen Ibero, Province of Madrid, December 8, 2008
José Vázquez Mahía, Province of Madrid, December 8, 2008
Roberto Buitrago Gutiérrez, Province of Bogotá, December 12, 2008

50th Jubilee of Profession:
Patrick Gerald Kelly, Province of Dublin, December 8, 2008

25th Jubilee of Profession:
Oscar Eduardo Rojas Paniagua, Vice Province of San Salvador, December 8, 2008

Deaths:
Rev. Demetrius George Laptuta, 89, Province of Yorkton, October 15, 2008
Rev. Frans Slachmuylders, 84, Province of St. Clement/Region of Flanders, October 31, 2008
Rev. Henryk Szulc, 88, Province of Warsaw, November 1, 2008
Rev. Peter Francis O’Donnell, 78, Province of Canberra, November 4, 2008
Rev. Alfred Sieradski, 86, Province of Baltimore, November 14, 2008
Rev. Jean Baptiste Vu Minh Nghiem, 89, Vice Province of Extra Patriam, November 15, 2008
Rev. Hendrik Delanghe, 78, Province of St. Clement/Region of Flanders, November 18, 2008

Index